CONTACT: Christmas 1974
The Golfing Society's report for 1974 is reproduced in the Magazines section of the website
CONTACT:Christmas 1975
The glorious summer we enjoyed this year ensued that all the Society's matches were played in near perfect conditions.
The first event in our calendar was an Alliance Competition played at Kings Norton Golf Club in May. The winners were Alan Woodbridge and Gary Grainger who returned a par 72. In second place was one of last year's winners, Ian Wright, partnered by Geoff Wright. Our first match against Lloyds Bank Golfing Society was halved 2˝ - 2˝, perhaps a suitable ending to the series of fixtures played against Lloyds over many years. The management of Lloyds' decision that in future their Society should not play competitor banks brings this annual fixture to an end. The National Westminster Bank produced a spell of inspired putting on Robin Hood Golf Club's excellent greens to carry their team to a victory by 4˝ to 1˝. Nearly all the matches were decided on either the last or penultimate green and then by single puts. Positions were reversed in August when the City Police 'A' Division came up against a strong Bank team at Kings Norton and we ran out winners by 4˝ - 1˝.
As in previous years, teams were entered for the NALGO West Midlands District Council Team competition at Redditch but the six players, Margaret Wiggett, Keith Haslam, Tony Green, Alan Reed, Eric Bignell and Mike Bourke were not able to make the prize-winner's lists. The new Redditch course proved to be quite a handful for most of the teams and in blustery conditions scores were high. Better results were obtained by the two pairs entered in the NALGO West Midlands District Council Charity Alliance Competition held at Handsworth. The overall winners were Gary Grainger and Mike Bourke with an eight under par 64; three shots away in fourth place were Keith Haslam and Tony Green. This competition proved to be an ordeal in more ways than one. The winning score was put in at half past three in the afternoon yet it was nine o'clock in the evening before the final pairs reached the clubhouse. Another success story was registered in October when John Curtis outplayed the rest of the field in the NALGO West Midlands District Stableford Competition. John, competing with Les Bellmore, Graham Sargent and Gary Grainger, stormed home with a net 63 amassing a total of 39 points to win by four clear points. Stableford Competition requires very consistent play and John produced the type of golf eminently suitable to the occasion. He scored at least one point on every hole - a remarkable performance. This win meant that our Society won two out of three NALGO competitions and has brought one or two demands for our transfer to NUBE to be speeded up.
The good weather stayed with us for the Annual Medal at Hereford Golf Club. With a larger field than usual the best scores returned were those of the sons of two of our members. Philip Haslam and Nigel Bellmore both returned a four under par 66. The trophy was awarded to Philip on the basis of an inward nine holes of 44 (gross) against Nigel's score of 45. This system is the usual method of breaking a tied position. In third position, six shots away, was Keith Haslam who for the second year in succession scored a 72. As usual the catering arrangements at Hereford were first class and it was very pleasing to see more of our members enjoying them.
The President's Cup was won again this year by Harold Turner. For the tenth time in twenty-two years he has successfully weathered the storms of the early rounds and in the final gave his usual masterly display to beat Tony Green 3-2. He still maintains that he has difficulty in playing eighteen holes of golf!
Finally a word about membership. The number of members has increased steadily over the past few years but there is always room for more. Rodney Tonks, who joined the Society this year, played his way into the semi-finals of the President's Cup losing only to Harold Turner, the eventual winner. It may be your turn to go one better in the coming season - why not try?
Michael Bourke
CONTACT: Christmas 1976
During this, one of the sunniest summers in living memory, it
would seem likely that golfers had found their own kind of paradise. In common with many people, however, golfers found that the dry
conditions were not always to their taste. Lack of water caused a lot of damage to local courses but thanks to the autumnal rains,
they are almost back to their best.
The Society had mixed results in matches this year. A win, by 3-1, was recorded against T.S.B.
of the Midlands in June at Robin Hood Golf Club. This was our first match against a T.S.B. and it was thoroughly enjoyed by all. A
return fixture will be arranged in the New Year. In July we played the National Westminster Bank Golfing Society, also at Robin Hood
Golf Club. This match ended in a win for the Nat. West. by 3˝-1˝. A change of course took us to Kings Norton in August where the Society
ran out comfortable winners against West Midlands Police 'A' Division, 5˝-˝.
In our own tournaments we saw one new face amongst the
winners. The Annual Medal, in September, was won by Rodney Tonks following up his form of the previous year in the President's Cup.
In difficult conditions at the Herefordshire Golf Club Rodney recorded an excellent five under par net 65 to take the trophy. Three
shots away in second place was Martin Griffin and third was Gary Haslam. The Alliance competition was won by John Curtis and Martin
Griffin with a five under par 67 at Kings Norton in May. The President's Cup will decorate the Haslam mantelpiece for the next twelve
months following Keith's five and three victory over Tony Green in the final. This win makes a total of four wins for Keith so far
as he chases Harold Turner's record of ten wins. It was also the second year in succession that Tony has won his way through to the
final. Last year he lost to Harold Turner and this year he had the disappointment of losing again. Third time lucky?
The change from
NALGO to NUBE meant that we were only able to participate in two of the West Midland District Council tournaments. In May John Curtis,
Gary Grainger and Michael Bourke took part in the NALGO team competition held at the Brecon Hills Golf club. The weather that day
was, to say the least, difficult. The round started in bright sunshine, deteriorated to rain which in turn gave way to hail (even
the sheep had to take shelter) and finally, presumably an afterthought, returned to bright sunshine. It remains to say that the golf
took on a similar pattern. The NALGO Charity Medal was held at Handsworth Golf Club in July and John Curtis and Gary Grainger returned
a 67 ensuring themselves of a well-merited fourth place in a well attended tournament.
An invitation was received from the Trustee
Savings Bank North West Central Region to send a team of five players to their autumn competition played over the Pleasington course
near Blackburn on 4th October. Unfortunately, the day was marred by a torrential downpour but this failed to dampen Gary Grainger's
spirits and he took second prize in the individual section. During this year of change for the Bank our Society has taken the opportunity
to establish contacts with the T.S.B. golfing societies. We have been made to feel very welcome and it is hoped that this year marks
the beginning of a long and friendly association with our colleagues in the T.S.B. world.
This year we have welcomed four new members
to the Society. David Chapman, John Hemming, Roy Harper and Les Webber have all played in either tournaments or matches and in some
cases both. John won his way to the Quarter-finals of the President's Cup and obviously has the capability to be a future winner.
Finally
may I pay tribute to the support shown to the Society by our retired members. Clem Batstone, Doris Hale, Harold Turner and Bert Wilner
regularly play in competition and matches and seem to get younger every year. It is very pleasing to report that Harold Turner has
made a splendid recovery from his hip operation and we all look forward to see him playing for us next year.
To parody a well known
broadcaster of the fishing fraternity may I wish you all,
STRAIGHT DRIVES
Michael Bourke.
CONTACT: Christmas 1977
Despite the weather,
all of this year’s crowded fixture list was completed. With increased number of events a great deal of pressure fell upon members
to meet all our commitments. It is pleasing to report, therefore, that a full team played on every occasion and I am very grateful
for the support of the members during the year.
Due to the number of events in our calendar the Alliance Competition was brought forward
to early May and conditions could hardly have been worse. An hour before the competition a thunderstorm saturated the Kings Norton
course. By the time the first players set off the rain had abated to a heavy downpour. The small stream that normally trickles its
way across the course had, by now, ambitions to much greater things and there were no dissentions when the committee decided to restrict
the competition to twelve holes. The winners were Gary Grainger and Alan Woodbridge, the 1975 winners, who returned a total of 52.
In
our matches this year we finished all square, winning two and losing two. In May, a closely contested match against T.S.B. of the
Midlands ended in a narrow victory by 3-2 but later that month we lost to National Westminster Bank by 4-1. This proved to be our
last match against National Westminster as they are unable to continue the fixture because of rising costs. In June we met, for the
first time, British Airways and in another closely fought match lost by 2-3, but confidence was restored by a 5-1 win over West Midlands
Police ‘A’ Division.
The Annual Medal was once again held at the Herefordshire Golf Club and was won by the 1975 winner, Phillip Haslam,
after a card play-off following a tie with Len Hale. This event proved that history does repeat itself because when Phillip won the
event in 1975 it was also after a card play-off, the unfortunate player on that occasion being Nigel Bellmore. The name of Haslam
will again decorate the President’s Cup following Keith winning an all Kings Norton final against Margaret Wiggett.
This year, being
our first full year in T.S.B. competition, teams were entered for their competitions. These competitions are centred on the North
Western Region and this obviously calls for a great deal of travelling by our members. Despite this handicap our members have always
given a good account of themselves and Margaret Wiggett won the Ladies Prize at the Autumn Stableford Tournament at Stockport.
The
most startling reversal of this year came at the annual confrontation between North West Region and North East Region. North East
have come to look upon this cup as their own but this year aided by superlative performances by Gary Grainger, Alan Woodbridge and
Keith Wilcox, from T.S.B. of the Midlands, North West carried the day by the narrowest of margins, 4-3, after being 1-3 down before
Gary, Alan and Keith returned their scores.
We welcome two new members this year, Steve Wright and Trevor Smith gave a very good account
of themselves in the Club matches and will hopefully continue the good work in the new season. New members are always welcome and
anyone interested in joining the section should contact us.
Michael Bourke
CONTACT: Summer 1978
The golfing events
of the summer began with our Annual Alliance Tournament at Kings Norton Golf Club. The winners this year were our guests from the
T.S.B. of the Midlands, Keith Wilcox and Peter Bickley, with a net score of 71, the runners-up being Eric Bignell and George Harris
(73).
Early in May, T.S.B. North West Area Golf Society held its Spring meeting at Wilmslow Golf Club in Cheshire. Our representatives
on the team competition, Keith Haslam and Tony Green, played very steadily to finish second and bring home the “Inns Merry” Trophy.
This was quite an achievement when one considers there were no less than 19 teams competing.
At Lancaster Golf Club in June, Gary Grainger
and Trevor Smith helped North West to a narrow victory over the North East. This reverses a defeat earlier in the season at Silloth
in Cumbria. Gary took part in that match also.
The only match the Bank has played so far this year was against T.S.B. of the Midlands.
We were victorious by the narrow margin of 3˝-2˝, with all the individual matches also very close.
G.R. Sargent
Hon. Secretary.
CONTACT: Autumn 1979
The
golf season began with a medal competition at Kings Norton Golf Club on the 15th May. This event was used as a qualifying tournament
for the T.S.B. National Golf Weekend to be held at the Cambridgeshire Hotel on October. Eric Bignell won this event and our team for
the ‘National’ will be Tony Green, Eric Bignell, Alan Reed and Graham Dunbar.
Our only match played this year so far, against West
Midlands Police, resulted in victory for the Bank by four matches to one.
The annual Alliance tournament was held in August, the winners
being Keith Wilcox and Peter Bickley from T.S.B. of the Midlands, for the second year running. Runners up were Graham Sargent and
Graham Dunbar after a card play-off against Alan Woodbridge and Gary Grainger.
A team of four players sent to represent the Bank in
the T.S.B. North West Area Spring meeting held at Mere Golf Club, Cheshire. We did not meet with the same success as last year but
look forward to better fortune at Stockport for the Autumn meeting. Players also have been sent to represent North West Area in matches
against the North East at Silloth (Cumbria) and Leeds. The North West were victorious on both occasions.
Graham Sargent.
CONTACT:Christmas 1979
The second half of the summer has been most successful for the Golf Section. On the 4th September we played our
last annual match against TSB of the Midlands at Robin Hood Golf club and won by 4 matches to 1. As this was the last time such a
match will be played it is worth recording that in three years of this event our record is; played 3, won 3.
In October, the first
TSB National Golf Competition was held at Cambridge. Birmingham was represented by Tony Green, Eric Bignell, Alan Reed and Graham
Dunbar. In the Medal competition held on the first day, despite very windy conditions, our team won by two shots from Aberdeen TSB
with a nett score (best three cards) of 222. Graham Dunbar in fact only missed winning the individual prize by one shot. It was particularly
pleasing to win this competition trophy (a cut glass rose bowl) as it was the first and last chance for the B.M.T.S.B. to enter.
A
Stableford competition for the President's Prize was held the following day, being won by Eastern England, our team fading to 13th
place.
A few days later, a team of four players from B.M.T.S.B. competed in the North West Area Golf Society Autumn Meeting at Stockport
Golf Club. I will not embarrass any of them by mentioning their names or recounting their performances on this occasion, however.
(There
are no prizes for guessing one of those names).
Our annual outing at Kington Golf Club was blessed with very good weather and very fast games. The Medal round was won by that man Dunbar with a nett score of 67, mainly due to a brilliant first nine holes. Finishing
joint second were Eric Bignell, Philip Haslam and Graham Sargent with nett scores of 69. The best gross scores were recorded by Keith
Wilcox and George Harris, both with 82.
G.R. Sargent,
Secretary.